Seraphina's POV
I couldn't sleep even though it was already eleven o'clock at night. I had skipped dinner because I was still full from the snacks Lucca and I had in the afternoon. Mira and Damian had already returned, but I didn't bother Mira since she looked exhausted from all the shopping.
I left my room and decided to spend some time in the garden. Maybe a short walk would help me feel sleepy.
As soon as I stepped into the garden, I was surprised to see Dominic sitting alone with a cup of tea.
"Seraphina. You're still awake?" Dominic asked before gesturing for me to sit with him.
"I'm not sleepy yet," I answered as I walked over. I took the seat across from him.
"You didn't join us for dinner," Dominic said.
"I wasn't hungry. I had snacks this afternoon," I replied.
"That's what Lucca told me. He even said you ate his sandwich." Dominic laughed.
"He told you that?" I asked in surprise.
Lucca didn't seem like the type to share little things like that. Or maybe I had simply assumed he wouldn't.
Dominic laughed again.
"Yeah. Even I was surprised to hear it from him."
I simply nodded before taking a deep breath.
It was supposed to be a peaceful night, but instead of being alone with my thoughts, I was here talking with Dominic.
"Can I ask you something, Seraphina?" Dominic suddenly said.
"You're already asking me," I replied.
He laughed once more.
"You answer me the same way Lucca answers me. It seems like you're slowly picking up the way he talks."
I frowned.
"That's not true," I insisted.
"Okay, okay." He raised both hands in surrender. "I just wanted to ask if you're really okay after... you know... discovering what Lucca is."
He carefully searched for the right words.
But there was no point in sugarcoating it.
I already knew the truth.
"Why wouldn't I be okay? I admit I was shocked at first, but it's his life."
"I'm not an ordinary person either," Dominic confessed.
His words didn't surprise me.
"I know. Lucca told me earlier when we talked."
Dominic smiled awkwardly.
"Your reaction is completely different from what we expected. We've been trying so hard to hide it from you."
"Now I'm wondering..." I said.
"Was meeting me part of your plan from the beginning?"
Dominic froze.
For a few seconds, he didn't answer.
"I hope not," I continued. "Because what would you gain by asking me to be your friend? I'm not rich, and I have nothing to offer you. So... what was the real reason you wanted to be friends with me?"
"Do I really need a reason?" Dominic asked softly. "Can't I simply say that I genuinely wanted to be your friend?"
I nodded.
He had a point.
He had been my boss before I truly got to know him. Because of him, I met Lucca and Damian. If I had never met Dominic, Mira would probably still be single.
"How do you feel about having that power?" I asked.
Dominic looked genuinely surprised by the question.
"This is actually the first time I've openly talked about our abilities," he admitted with an awkward laugh. "It still feels strange."
He took a sip of his tea before continuing.
"When Damian and I first discovered our powers, we were terrified. Neither of us could accept that we weren't ordinary people anymore."
He smiled as he remembered those days.
"But Lucca..." Dominic chuckled. "He wasn't bothered at all. He accepted it like it had always been part of him."
I quietly nodded.
Lucca really was different.
Completely different from the other two.
"Do you kill people?" I asked, just as I had asked Lucca.
Once again, Dominic was caught off guard.
I wasn't trying to soften my words anymore. There was no point pretending when I already knew the truth.
"No," he answered with a small smile.
"I'm a businessman."
"But Lucca does," I said.
My answer shocked Dominic even more.
"Sera... how much do you know?" Dominic asked, but he couldn't finish his sentence.
"Now I know who kills... and who doesn't," I replied as I looked up at the night sky.
"Do you like reading books?" I asked after a moment. "Especially fiction?"
"I read sometimes, but not as much as Lucca does."
"Thrillers are my favorite genre. I love books filled with mystery and horror," I shared.
"Sometimes, I feel like Lucca is a character straight out of one of the books I read... someone who kills people."
"I... I don't know what to say," Dominic admitted, still trying to process everything I had said.
"I'll still work for Lucca," I said firmly. "Regardless of everything I've learned about him. Right now, earning money is more important to me than anything else."
After that conversation, Dominic and I returned to our rooms and went to sleep.
The next morning, we headed to the airport to fly back to the city.
Mira's parents personally drove us there. I had thought Mira would stay behind for a few more days, but she insisted she wouldn't leave me alone no matter what.
However, she wouldn't be returning to work at Dominic's company.
"Behave, okay?" Mira's mom said while hugging her. "And don't forget to call us."
"Mom, stop crying." Mira chuckled. "I'm not moving to another country. If you miss me, you can visit me anytime."
"Just make sure you call us every day and keep us updated," Mira's dad added before turning to Damian.
"Please take good care of my daughter."
"Dad!" Mira pouted. "I'm not a little girl anymore."
"You'll always be our little girl," he replied with a smile.
I glanced at Damian.
He simply smiled politely at Mira's father before all of us headed toward our boarding gate.
Mira and Damian sat together, while Dominic, Lucca, and I occupied the row behind them.
The flight was peaceful.
None of the three men talked much, not even to each other. I guessed we were all exhausted after the vacation.
A few hours later, we finally arrived in Davao City.
A white van was already waiting outside the airport to pick us up. It was Dominic's assistant behind the wheel.
"Let's drop Damian and Mira off first," Dominic instructed. "Then Lucca and Seraphina."
I wanted to ask why I would be the last one to be dropped off, but I decided to keep quiet.
"You should drop Seraphina off first. She looks tired," Lucca said.
"No, no. I'm fine," I replied.
Who was I to complain?
I was just an employee.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated.
A text message.
I unlocked the screen and saw that it was from Damon.
See you at your house, babe. I missed you.
A chill ran down my spine.
That single message made me realize that Damon's intentions had never been genuine.
From the very beginning, he had only gotten close to me so he could provoke Lucca... and expose his secret.
I glanced at Lucca. His eyes were closed, just like Dominic's. They both looked exhausted from the trip.
I quietly sighed.
I guess I'll have to deal with Damon on my own.
Maybe it was actually a good thing that I would be the last one to be dropped off. That way, no one would suspect Damon might be waiting at my house.
First, Mira and Damian were dropped off. Then it was Lucca's turn.
He didn't even bother looking at Dominic or me. He simply got out of the van as if he had just stepped out of a Grab. He didn't even thank the driver or Dominic before walking away.
After Lucca left, the van headed toward my house.
I expected Damon to be waiting outside, but no one was there.
I let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you for the ride, Dominic," I said.
"No worries. See you around," he replied.
I nodded and smiled before entering through the gate.
After locking it behind me, I walked toward the front door.
Just as I reached it, I stopped.
The door wasn't locked.
Before leaving for our vacation, I had made sure every door and gate was securely locked.
How could the front door be unlocked?
A bad feeling settled in my stomach.
Slowly, I pushed the door open.
The moment I stepped inside, I gasped.
My bag slipped from my hand and fell to the floor.
There, sitting comfortably on my sofa, was Damon.
"Damon..." I whispered.
His name was the only word I could manage to say.
"Why are you so shocked?" he asked casually. "Didn't I tell you I'd be waiting here? I missed you, babe."
He stood and slowly walked toward me.
Instinctively, I stepped backward.
"Don't come any closer," I warned.
"Why?" Damon smirked. "Didn't you miss me?"
At that moment, Damon frightened me far more than Lucca ever had.
After discovering his true intentions, all I could see in him was darkness.
"H-How did you get in?" I stammered.
Did that mean my house wasn't safe at all?
He had unlocked my door as though it were nothing.
"I have powers too, babe. Just like Lucca," Damon answered with a grin as he continued walking toward me.
I gasped when my back suddenly hit the edge of the table.
There was nowhere else to go.
"Don't come any closer. Please stop, Damon," I pleaded.
My whole body was trembling, but I tried my best not to let him notice.
"Why should I stop when I still haven't gotten what I want?" Damon smirked, looking almost like a rabid animal.
Only a few inches separated us.
At any moment, he could touch me.
"I already told you that I like you," he growled through clenched teeth. "I'm better than Lucca. Why can't you understand something so simple?"
"Because Lucca is different from you, Damon."
The moment those words left my mouth, his face darkened with fury.
He reached out, about to grab my wrist—
But before his hand could touch me, he suddenly cried out.
"Ahhh!"
He staggered backward, clutching his arm in agony.
"What... what is this?" he shouted, his face twisted in pain.
I stood frozen in place, completely confused.
Why was he suddenly in pain?
What had just happened?
"What did you do to me, Seraphina?" Damon demanded, still grimacing.
"I-I don't know," I stammered. "I didn't do anything to you."
I tried to explain, but his eyes burned with rage, as though he wanted to attack me despite the pain.
Before he could make another move...
Lucca stepped into the house.
Lucca's POV
I heard a notification from someone's phone.
I was sitting at the back of the van while Seraphina sat in the front beside Dominic.
Without drawing attention to myself, I glanced at her phone.
A single text message was enough to make my expression darken.
It was from Damon.
See you at your house, babe. I missed you.
That message bothered me for the rest of the ride.
Even so, I kept my composure.
I couldn't let Dominic or Seraphina realize that I had seen Damon's message.
When the van stopped in front of my house, I got out without saying goodbye.
There was no point.
I would be seeing Seraphina again soon.
The moment Dominic drove away, I grabbed my car keys and headed straight for Seraphina's house.
I couldn't shake the feeling that Damon was planning something.
I knew him well enough to understand that once he set his mind on something, he would do anything to get it, even if it meant hurting an innocent person.
When I arrived at Seraphina's house, I hurried toward the entrance.
The front door was already open.
Without knocking, I stepped inside.
The first thing I saw was Damon standing dangerously close to Seraphina.
He reached out, about to touch her—
Then, all of a sudden, he cried out in pain.
He hadn't even laid a finger on her, yet he looked as though he was suffering terribly.
I pushed the door open wider, but neither of them noticed my presence.
They were too focused on each other.
Damon glared at Seraphina with rage, looking ready to attack her despite whatever was hurting him.
The moment he made another move toward her...
I stepped in.
Seraphina's POV
I watched as Lucca pinned Damon's arms down as if they were made of steel.
Damon cried out in pain, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything.
I was more worried that my grandmother's house would collapse because of their strength.
"Stop messing with Seraphina," Lucca growled. "Aren't you tired of chasing someone who doesn't even like you? I've wanted to hurt you for a long time, but I couldn't. Now I—"
Before Lucca could finish his sentence, Damon threw a powerful punch that sent him flying into the kitchen counter.
The distance was far too great for an ordinary human.
I saw Lucca grimace, and it was obvious he felt the impact.
After knocking Lucca back, Damon disappeared in an instant.
I didn't even think about chasing him.
I was no match for him.
Instead, I rushed into the kitchen to check on Lucca.
The kitchen counter was badly damaged from the force of the impact.
Maybe Lucca noticed me staring at it because he spoke before I could.
"I'll replace it tomorrow. As soon as possible."
"Huh? No. It's only a little damaged," I said.
I was lying.
The damage was far from minor.
"Are you okay?" I asked instead, changing the subject.
He was already back on his feet, and the pain on his face had disappeared.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" he replied.
"I'm fine, as you can see. He didn't hurt me."
"But he was about to," Lucca said. "If I hadn't arrived in time..."
His words made me look down at my hands.
I remembered what had happened.
Damon had been about to touch me, but before he could, he suddenly screamed in pain.
How?
I hadn't done anything.
My gaze slowly fell to the black ring on my finger.
Could it be...
"If I hadn't happened to see the message on your phone, I wouldn't have known any of this," Lucca said.
"You saw Damon's message?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes." His expression hardened. "And you still chose to hide it from us? What if Damon had killed you? What if no one had come because you never told anyone about his message?"
He wasn't yelling.
He was scolding me.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't want to bother any of you. We were all exhausted from the trip."
"Did you really think you could handle Damon by yourself?" Lucca demanded. "He's a beast... a monster."
His voice was filled with anger.
But for the first time...
I knew that anger wasn't directed at me.
It came from fear.
"I know!" I cried. "And I was scared, okay? I know I made a mistake by not telling you. I'm sorry."
The fear I had been suppressing finally overwhelmed me.
My whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.
The strength drained from my legs, and I slowly sank to the floor.
"Seraphina..."
Lucca softly called my name.
I slowly lifted my head to look at him.
But instead of seeing the Lucca standing before me...
I saw him from the past.
Standing beside someone else...
Lucca's POV
Seraphina collapsed onto the floor.
I immediately caught her before her head could hit the ground.
"Seraphina," I called, but there was no response.
Without wasting another second, I lifted her into my arms and carried her to her bedroom.
The room was small but neat. It suited someone as petite as she was.
I gently laid her on the bed, but she remained unconscious.
For a moment, I considered calling Dominic to tell him what had happened.
But I knew he would ask endless questions, and I wasn't in the mood to answer any of them.
Instead, I called my personal doctor.
"Doctor..." I began.
"Lucca? Is something wrong? Are you sick?" he asked from the other end of the line.
"I'll send you an address. Please come here immediately."
"What's the emergency? Did something happen?" His voice grew more concerned.
"I'll explain everything when you get here."
Without waiting for another question, I ended the call and texted him Seraphina's address.
I turned my attention back to her.
She looked pale.
And far too thin.
Everything that had happened today must have overwhelmed her.
My eyes drifted to the black ring on her finger.
It was the same ring that had hurt me before...
Just as it had hurt Damon today.
I had completely underestimated its power.
Now everything was clear.
The ring had protected Seraphina from Damon.
When I had tried to steal it before, it had refused to leave her finger.
A faint smirk appeared on my face.
Now I understand.
Anyone who tried to harm Seraphina would suffer the consequences.
The ring would protect its owner at all costs.
No wonder my master had warned me never to take it by force.
It wasn't just an ordinary ring.
It would fight back.
My gaze returned to Seraphina's sleeping face.
She looked so innocent.
So fragile.
She was so thin that I wondered if she was even eating properly.
She wasn't even close to my ideal type.
Yet...
She was the one who occupied my thoughts the most.
I had never been this concerned about anyone before.
Not even my ex-girlfriend.
Why did I suddenly want to protect her?
Was it because I still needed the ring?
Or...
Was it because I genuinely cared about her?